Finding Ai
by The May Waters
Summary: Several Konohagakure shinobi go missing on an Anbu mission. Including the Dark Flash, one of the deadliest assassins in the world. When the Hokage receives word during a Gokage meeting, Gaara unexpectedly volunteers to help recover the missing ninja.
1. Kurogakure

**Hey, new story. Just a simple little thing. It's 5 chapters plus a prologue. It's complete already and I'll be updating every Friday until it's finished.**

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Finding Ai

SI Foote

Prologue: Kurogakure

"You'll be infiltrating Kurogakure and retrieving an item they found during the war. They stole a set of important scrolls," Kakashi explained further. Four Covert Ops Anbu members were standing before him in the room, devoid of their masks. "Hashirama wrote them himself and they contain secrets concerning what this village was founded upon. I'm asking you to retrieve them before they are damaged."

The shinobi nodded and looked at each other. They had worked together a couple of times before, but they still didn't know each other's real name.

"You won't need your masks. It'll be harder to infiltrate the shinobi while wearing them." Kakashi stood from his chair by the window. "I'll now give you your names. Ru,"

The brown haired male in the corner nodded, he looked over at the blonde on his team frequently. She started to act jumpy and skittish, nervous from his attention. Kakashi gestured at the twin brother and sister on the team:

"Ka and Shi." He finally pointed at Sanmari. She combed her fingers through her blonde hair, trying to show disinterest in the conversation. "Ai."

"When would you like us to leave?" Ka asked; his deep voice comforted them.

"Ru will be the team captain and he will decide. I would like you to head out as soon as possible."

"Thirty minutes to gather what you need, Kakashi-sama do you have Kuro headbands for us?"

"Shikamaru is collecting them now. I will have him meet you at the front gates in thirty minutes."

"Arigatou gozaimasu," Ru nodded and they made their way out of the office. "Ai, please wait."

Ai stopped, turning to look at the group commander. Her hazel eyes met his soft brown and he stared at her for a long while.

"I've heard your story, so I know you're a skilled, strike killer. We may need you when we get farther into where they will have the scroll sealed away."

"If you needed to make it clear why Kakashi included me on this team, then I feel that you aren't a suited commander. I know my place even if I have a captain, I'm not one to take orders from anyone but Kakashi-sama." Ai challenged and Ru gritted his teeth.

"I'd like to remind you to respect your superiors,"

"I have a problem with authority," Ai retorted before turning back and heading out of the government house.

She walked through the streets quickly; she only had twenty minutes now to pack her necessary belongings. Growling, she threw the door to her apartment open and tossed her shoes off for the moment, stepping over the clutter from the last few missions she hadn't had time to clean up. Ai glanced over at the ring on her dresser. It had been her father's wedding ring and her twin brother had left it with her when he left on a mission the week before.

She had been kidnapped as a small child and taken to Kurogakure. There she had been tortured and trained, turned into an elite assassin by the time she was seven years old. Her mind broke at twelve and after that, she wasn't particularly stable. Kurogakure had kicked her out of the village and left her to die with several broken bones. Konoha had happened upon her during another mission when the shinobi were on their way home. They brought her with and Sanmari explained what had happened to the Hokage Tsunade.

Sanmari was reunited with her twin brother and they now shared an apartment. She converted to work for the Konoha anbu as an elite assassin chosen only for some of the hardest missions. Anytime she was put on a team, she knew her role. Sanmari was strictly to be the assassin of the situation, so that was the only call that she would wait for. Honestly, she didn't want to go back to Kurogakure, but it was her job.

Once she had finished packing, Sanmari put the backpack on her shoulders. They wouldn't be going in wearing their jounin uniform as those only applied to official villages. Sanmari felt bare leaving without her familiar animal mask of a fox; it felt freeing to move without being a well-kept secret.

When she met up with the rest of the team at the gate, they nodded at her. Shikamaru smirked. She was right on time, as always. He handed Ai the headband and as she tied it around her left thigh, she felt like she was returning to her years of captivity inside Kuro. Sanmari paused for only a moment. She wasn't mean to be herself in this moment; she is Ai, someone retrieving an important scroll for her village as Anbu. Swallowing she looked at the team captain who signaled for them to move out. Shikamaru already moving away.


	2. Trouble

Chapter 1: Trouble

"It's a pleasure to have you in our city again, even if it is for a mandatory meeting." Kakashi laughed lightly, walking through the city streets.

Gaara, the Kazekage, walked at his side, attracting the attention of curious girls whispering together. A few of them managed to get up the courage to talk to the red head, handing him small gifts which he took politely.

"I apologize for the bother, what do you do with those gifts?"

"I give them to Kankuro. He disposes of them or finds ways to put them somewhere if they're useful. I've heard he gives some stuff to Shino."

"Those two are quite the unexpected couple." Kakashi laughed lightly. "Where is your brother currently?"

"He ran off to find his boyfriend as soon as we got here. Same with Temari, I can't take them anywhere."

"Ah so that was the important business that Shikamaru had to attend to." Kakashi laughed looking off in the distance. "Do you not intend on marrying anyone Gaara?"

"I could ask the same of you."

"Not someone I could reproduce with, but I only ask because your village is so insistent on the position of Kazekage passing within the family."

"The council who helps me run my country has had a few ideas about who I might take as my wife. They've run the idea of a betrothal a few times past me, but I would rather be able to choose my own bride. If worse comes to worse, I'll adopt a kid, the village elders can't say anything." Gaara laughed lightly and Kakashi shook his head.

"The other Kage are supposed to arrive later today for the summit, do you wish to wait at your hotel room or wander around the village?"

"I think I will enjoy the sights today, it is a beautiful place."

"I will temporarily assign an Anbu member to follow you around at a distance, just in case anything should happen."

"Of course, thank you for your concern." Gaara and Kakashi separating, but Gaara knew when the Anbu member had taken his place in protecting him. He smiled; perhaps it wasn't completely horrible being the Kazekage.

-oOo-

"Hey crybaby," Temari greeted when she found Shikamaru on his favorite hill watching the clouds.

"Troublesome woman," he replied back, glancing over at her. "Managed to escape from Gaara?"

"I think he knew what I was planning on. Kankuro left him too, but Kakashi was with him. I'm sure that he won't be left without some kind of a guard."

"'Course not, Kakashi wouldn't do anything to damage our relationship in the alliance."

"Have you been busy with work lately?" Temari asked laying on the grass next to him.

"Yeah, was lucky enough to break away today, even if it was for a moment."

"We could make it longer than a moment," she suggested looking at him with a smile. He chuckled.

"I suppose we could."

-oOo-

"So I've heard that there's a pretty attractive shinobi teaching classes at the academy in Konoha now." Kankuro said loudly coming up behind Shino while he was eating breakfast with Kiba outside his house on the Aburame compound.

"Is there? I haven't heard anything," Shino replied calmly glancing sideways, above the rims of his glasses.

"Yeah I didn't hear anything like that either," Kiba joked tossing some food to Akamaru.

"And here I was getting my hopes up." Kankuro sat down on the porch next to Shino looking at the man who was looking back, but kept glancing at Kiba.

"Oh just kiss, I don't care, I know you're dating." He rolled his eyes focusing in on the food. Kankuro did as instructed, stealing a sweet and lingering kiss from the Aburame.

"So what'd you guys get for breakfast?"

"Lots of rice," Shino pointed at the abundance of white grain.

"A man after my own heart." Kankuro joked lightly taking a small bowl of it. He had already eaten something light with his siblings on their way here, but he felt a little hungry still.

"Do you want to meet my parents today?" Shino asked quietly as the three ate. Kankuro paused looking at his boyfriend.

"Are you sure that's something you want me to do?"

"Yes, it's only proper as I have already met your family." He hummed, looking at the bug ninja.

"Let me know a time and I'll be there."

"His parents are nice people, I highly doubt they'll disprove of you." Kiba offered kindly.

"Do you have any siblings?" Kankuro asked curiously, brushing his shoe against the grass.

"I did, he died at the beginning of the war."

"I see. I must pay my respects to him as well." He smiled. He brushed his hand softly across Shino's. Kiba pretended to gag. He received a face full of rice from Shino.

-oOo-

"You're home?" Iruka looked up at the doorway where Kakashi was removing his shoes.

"Only momentarily, left Gaara with an Anbu. I was starving and didn't feel like eating out." Kakashi replied. He pulled his mask down to reveal his handsome face and the small beauty mark at the corner of his mouth.

"What do you want?"

"Saying _you_ would be too cliché." Kakashi chuckled sitting down at the table with Iruka who was now glaring at him.

"If you're going to be like that, you can go back to work."

"I can't leave Naruto in charge?"

"As much as he'd love that, you have a duty."

"And you are my lover." Kakashi quipped softly.

"So what do you want for lunch?"

-oOo-

"Ai you'll be going in last, we'll keep them busy while you do a back sneak attack for quick kills." Ru ordered and Ai nodded. She pushed her blonde hair back, slinking up against the wall so she wouldn't be spotted easily.

"No problem," Ai nodded, her hand reaching for her deadly kunai.

Ru pushed open the door and the fight started.

-oOo-

Shikamaru watched as the messenger hawk from the four-man Anbu team Kakashi had sent out recently on a message circled above the Hokage's office during the Gokage meeting. After receiving a curt nod from Kakashi, he slipped out of the room, heading to intercept the message so they could view it in entirety. Several shinobi were already waiting for him as he entered the small messenger area. They handed him the tightly bound scroll and he headed out of the room immediately.

Once he was in a safe place by himself, Shikamaru opened the scroll, a simple bracelet falling into his palm. He recognized it immediately, it was Ai's bracelet, with the Kanji character Ai hanging from the brown band, the two woven brown, and single orange and blue bands standing out separate from it. His finger brushed the character on the bracelet, noticing that the scroll had no writing on it whatsoever. As he touched the character, screaming issued from the charm. Shikamaru's jaw tightened as he listened, Ai had gotten them a message and it wasn't a good one. He was going to have to interrupt the Kage Summit.

"Mendokuse," he mumbled, heading quickly down the hall, back to the summit meeting room. "I'm sorry to interrupt your discussion, but something serious has happened to our top elite Anbu. The ones sent to Kurogakure to neutralize the threat to our countries."

Chojuro looked over at Shikamaru, having been the one interrupted with the door opening.

"Well that's more interesting than our statistical reports." He tried to joke, waving off the interruption.

"Was it inside that message?"

"Technically." Shikamaru threw the bracelet onto the table, it spun, the Ai landing so it was facing Gaara directly. He jumped slightly, wondering who was wearing such an ornament.

"That's-" Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise.

"Ai's bracelet, I'm aware." He sighed. "Touch the charm."

Kakashi reached out and touched the symbol slowly. He hadn't been expecting the screaming explosion of a choppy radio frequency to pitch out from it.

"Look who it is," a male voice chuckled.

"Get off me you bastards," a female spat back.

"Of course you'd be the one to survive after being thrown out with your bones broken." Another laughed loudly. "Think you can come back in here that easily? Were you missing Kurogakure that much?"

There was silence. A slap.

"I asked you a question."

"I don't have to give you an answer." She snarled.

"This headband tells us what we need to know anyway, working for the scum city Konohagakure."

"Sent to assassinate us, huh? Let's take her back to Jose."

There was a crack; Kakashi assumed it was a whip.

"Oi, watch where you are swinging that thing. She'll go insane if you bring that thing too close."

"To think you'd get taken over by us." One of the men laughed.

"Fuck you," they heard her say. They heard a neck snap and the drop of a body. Ai ran, her feet now pounding in their ears. A thud indicated that she had dropped to the ground.

"Drugs work wonders," they heard someone say. The sound of crinkling from a scroll drowned out the voices, the bracelet went silent.

"Are they alive?" Mei asked, looking up at Kakashi.

"Yes," he brought a hand up to his mouth. "Kurogakure is known for turning shinobi into their personal weapons, using a variety of methods. It's concerning that they have Ai back, she could easily be broken back into her old habits."

"It's apparent that Kurogakure has grown too strong for us to fight them with Anbu." Shikamaru stated.

"But who are we going to send?" A demanded.

"I'll go," Gaara volunteered. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. "If we can't fight them with Anbu, we have to fight them with Kage and Kage guard."

"Are you sure about this Gaara?" Kakashi asked slowly.

"Yes, I want to help. It's been a while since I've had a good fight."

"Shikamaru, will you decide on a larger sized team to go with Gaara?" Kakashi looked at the eighteen-year-old expectantly.

"Sure, but Gaara will be the only Kage to go. Sending anyone else would be too obvious." Shikamaru stated outright. "If need be Gaara can vanish inside his protective sand, none of the other Kage have this luxury."

"Good thinking," A agreed, despite his momentary flash of anger that Gaara would be the only one to get what he wants.

"How large are we making his team?" Shikamaru looked between Gaara and Kakashi.

"The smaller the better, but we need the most force we can." Gaara responded softly.

"Chojuro would be a good choice for a source of power, I would put in Temari and Kankuro, and I know they wouldn't let you go alone willingly. Omoi from Kumogakure and Kurotsuchi from Iwagakure. Along with myself, a perfect mix of long range and close range fighters. We'll be confronted with both. This is the city of assassins."

"When will we set out?" Chojuro asked, putting on a strong face.

"As soon as we can," Gaara nodded.

"We will postpone our meeting until this event is taken care of. Please bring our Anbu back." Kakashi nodded at them.

"I want to ask you what you will tell their families, Max will be the first to freak out when he discovers Ai is missing."

"Let's refer to them by their real names. I'm sure their identities have already been revealed." Kakashi noted.

"Sanmari was smart enough to get that bracelet to us, but if Max figures out what'll happen you'll have a whole other issue on your hand. Rocha's wife is pregnant too, and she won't be in a good condition to hear that her husband has been taken hostage."

Something stirred inside Gaara when he heard the name _Sanmari_.

"Sanmari? As in the Dark Flash?" Mei asked in surprise.

It clicked. When Gaara was younger, he'd been told tales of a girl his age who was a trained assassin. She would vanish in the shadows and could take out five-hundred men in minutes.

"The one and only, she was kidnapped from Konoha as a small child. Her twin brother is a shinobi for us as a Jounin, he's currently off on a mission though and I would rather he not be informed that his sister is missing. They've only been reunited for a few years." Kakashi confirmed. "Here's the pictures of our targets for recovery."

Rocha was nicknamed Ru for the mission, the name scrawled at the top of his photo. Bushy eyebrows over kind, but hard blue eyes. He had a rigid jaw line, indicating a strong build.

Ka and Shi were the set of twins, both with dark brown hair and brown eyes. The names Anzu and Shogo. They were fairly attractive and of a slim build.

The final picture was of a blonde, her hair cut to follow her hairline base from back to front so that it framed her face on either side. Bangs covered her forehead, but highlighted her hazel eyes. 'Sanmari' was scribbled on the top of the photo with the name Ai. She was slender, but had a little healthy weight on her. In the photo, Sanmari was looking backwards over her shoulder, an uncomfortable expression on her face and eyes broken, completely on guard of everyone around her.

"We'll bring them back," Temari told him. She scooped up the photos and tucked them into her pouch.

"Forty-five minutes, then we'll leave." Gaara decided, having been designated as the leader as the only Kage. Everyone nodded.


	3. Departure

Chapter 2: Departure

"Kurogakure is to the north, they network most of their supplies through the Forgotten River channel. Our best bet might be to get through there, but that's only if we want to be conspicuous." They had stopped for a short lunch break in a clearing and Shikamaru was pointing at the map of Kurogakure. It was located in the Land of Earth, far past Iwagakure. It was rare to have villages outsource requests from their lands, but it was a practice saved for S Class missions which would be better equipped with other shinobi. "I'm not sure what our main aim is though."

"Get in there, rescue them and get out." Kankuro shrugged.

"That's not a plan," Temari hissed pinching his arm.

"What was their original mission?" Gaara asked.

"Recovering Hashirama's sealed jutsu scrolls. They were stolen from our village during the war last year and we managed to locate them recently. They were in the possession of Jose and other influential leaders of Kurogakure. Sadly, Ai, I mean Sanmari, knew the most about Kuro and we knew we could send her. It was probably reckless thought on our part. Jose was the one who made her such a skilled assassin and she would be easily recognized there." Shikamaru leaned back against one of the fallen trees. His nimble fingers making quick work of an orange.

"What did Jose do to her to turn her into the Dark Flash?" Chojuro asked curiously, young enough like them to not fully understand who Sanmari was to the older generations.

"I haven't heard the full story," Shikamaru admitted. "She breaks if you try to ask her about it. It's a fight for your life."

"We know the story. We had to contend with the Dark Flash most often because of them residing as a rogue village in our nation." Kurotsuchi admitted.

"Tell us, while we head on to Kuro." Temari requested as the dark haired beauty nodded. They quickly picked up the remains of their camp and jumped back into travelling mode.

"Kurogakure has always been known for experimenting on Shinobi, in a different fashion than we've known Orochimaru to experiment." Kurotsuchi started. "They kidnap kids, of an older age, young genin level, but there was one year where they went for six and seven year olds. During a recon mission into the country, one of our shinobi brought back a notebook detailing this. Otherwise, we would have no idea. Kurogakure is adamant they keep track of everything, they wrote every name of those they kidnapped and their current status. A lot of them were dead, but there was one that stood out among the rest because it had a note next to it that said 'Dark Flash.' Everyone in our country knew that name and the notebook had everything detailing what had happened to cultivate such a dangerous assassin.

"Her full name is Sanmari Imaiquah Alors and she had been kidnapped from Konohagakure when she was six, training didn't start for a few months. It's a kind of trial period to get people acclimated to the city in hopes they will willingly work for Kurogakure. Sanmari apparently didn't go so easily to their desires. She was abused for three months, kept chained in a cell naked and whipped for at least twelve hours per day according to the notes, because she kept refusing.

"Eventually the torture apparently broke her. She showed no signs of having a life beforehand and when asked about living in Konoha before coming to Kuro, she claimed to have no knowledge of it." Kurotsuchi finished.

"That last part is legitimate though," Shikamaru glanced over at the group. "According to our records on Sanmari, when she arrived she didn't know how to respond in the territory because she was so used to Kuro and their abusive methods. When we found out that Max is her twin brother, we brought him into the hospital to see her, but she had no clue who he was. Max had to reteach her everything about her life in Konoha before she was kidnapped, but that was dangerous because it was so close to her torture that she could snap easily. Took her a while to trust that they were family."

"That's disgusting," Temari blanched slightly. For a country to use such harsh methods of training obedient shinobi, she wanted to rip them limb from limb.

"How did she become such a weapons expert though?" Omoi asked, nervously playing with the lollipop in his mouth.

"Once they had broken her into their will, they started training her. Apparently weapons handling came fairly naturally and within only a couple of months she was running S-Class missions by herself at age seven." Kurotsuchi explained. "I'm sure I could send for the official document from Iwagakure if we want to know the full story. There's apparently pictures and other stuff about each person."

"I'd rather not see those pictures, thanks though." Kankuro quickly declined.

Gaara was silent. While it wasn't the same, hearing Sanmari's story hit a chord in Gaara's head. It reminded him of when he was kid and only had his uncle Yashamaru, until he accidentally killed his uncle when his father, Rasa, ordered him to kill the small child. Gaara had broken, becoming a ruthless killer, unknowing of what _love_ truly was. He wondered how Sanmari had come to be reacquainted with the term, _perhaps with her brother._

"Do we have any good knowledge on the others, so we can be sure that they won't break like Sanmari?" Omoi asked nervously. "Because what happens if one of us is captured? We could get broken too. Especially if we have any violent tendencies naturally. We'd end up attacking one another. What if we killed each other? That wouldn't end well and it would probably end the alliance. If the alliance ends, we'd end up in war again. It's too soon for the Fifth Shinobi World War!"

"Omoi, calm down." Shikamaru slowed his pace to run next to the dark skinned ninja from Kumogakure. "Sanmari is the only one with a high chance of breaking and we have people that can deal with her. Kuro won't have enough time to touch the other anbu. Rosha was the team leader for this mission. He won't be taking any of the blame for the situation. We underestimated Kuro and their abilities to recognize intruders, that won't happen this time. There's not a lot of information about our anbu, Rosha is going to be a father. He's in his thirties and has been in anbu since he was fifteen, he's skilled and should've been able to hide everyone's chakra signatures, but something happened there.

"The twins on the other hand. I'm not personally aware of any family ties, but they are our shinobi. Anzu and Shogo have been in anbu since they were seventeen. They're now twenty-seven. Their abilities are dangerous if someone else were to manage to use them. Shogo is able to blend in with his surroundings, Anzu can transform easily into various animals which makes her great for infiltrating. She was to be the one who grabbed the scrolls and brought them out safely, Sanmari the assassin, and the other two the hidden guard."

"Logically, the perfect team." Temari complimented.

"Not right for a mission in Kurogakure." Gaara summed up and they nodded.

"What is the plan for once we get there?" Chojuro asked, they were nearing Iwagakure now and it would be another while before they got to the Forgotten River.

"We need to figure out where they're keeping our team. It'd make getting in a little easier." Shikamaru gritted his teeth.

"I'm sorry. I don't have a layout for the city." Kurotsuchi shrugged.

"Would Iwagakure have a map like that anywhere in its databases?" Shikamaru turned to look at her hopefully.

"I think we might, but that would delay our arrival."

"Omoi, Temari, Kankuro, and Chojuro will continue to Kurogakure and see if they can find a safe passage into the city. Gaara, Kurotsuchi, and I will go to Iwa and see if we can retrieve a map of the city. Recon in four hours past your arrival at Kuro, if we haven't arrived, move on without us." Shikamaru decided.

"Understood," Temari nodded and they broke into separate teams.

"Why am I coming with you though?" Gaara asked curiously.

"Because you're the Kazekage, and I'd rather not have Kuro have a chance at capturing you too soon. Although I doubt they would be able to capture you."

-oOo-

"It's been three hours since we got here," Kankuro pointed out.

"Shikamaru said to give them four. Besides, I want to delay our entrance. Having the only way in through the sewers is not something I'm overly eager to do." Temari told him.

"It's a smart plan though. We can follow the voices and areas and find the closest area to where they might be being held without sacrificing our cover." Chojuro smiled slightly, trying to ease the tension.

"But what if something fresh dumps on us?" Omoi started to go off on one of his freak-outs, the other three deciding to ignore him altogether. The guy was helpful, but he overthought everything a bit too much.

As it neared the four-hour mark, the last three of their group appeared, causing the others to breathe easy.

"Sorry, I forgot how popular Gaara is with girls." Shikamaru shook his head.

"I tried to avoid them," Gaara countered. "None of them interest me."

"You have to have an heir at one point though Gaara," Temari reminded.

"Now is not the time to be worrying about who's going to be the mother of the sixth Kazekage." His eyes narrowed.

"We got the map. Did you find a way in?" Kurotsuchi interrupted quickly.

"Sewers," Omoi shivered.

"Clever," Shikamaru complimented.

"I also borrowed these from our village so we can stay in contact." Kurotsuchi quickly passed out headsets and everyone put them on. "If we're using the sewers we can come up fairly close to where we need to be."

They ruffled through maps until they found which one lined up with where they were currently at. They looked to see if there were any maps of the sewers, but none existed.

"Perfect time to add a new map to the collection," Kurotsuchi pulled out a new map and quickly drew a basic diagram of the city and marked the sewer entrance. "According to the notes from previous visits to Kurogakure, the most likely holding places are these three towers here. They're interconnected by an underground tunnel, but we don't know how close the sewer is going to get us."

"How are we going to split up to fully search four towers?" Chojuro asked, looking for guidance.

"Chojuro and Kurotsuchi will go together to the northern tower. Kankuro and Omoi will take the western one. Temari, Gaara, and I will take the east tower." Shikamaru decided, pointing at each one in turn.

"Is there a duplicate of this map?" Kankuro requested.

"We can draft some rough ones quickly." Kurotsuchi offered, pulling out more map paper and tracing the previous map.

"Alright, after we get our ninja, we have to get the scrolls." Shikamaru reminded. "We'll meet back here with the anbu. Chojuro, I, and Kurotsuchi will go back in. The scrolls are most likely to be here, in the south tower. That's where Jose's office is according to the Iwa maps."

"Let's go," Kankuro signaled.

He jumped down to the sewer pipe and lifted the heavy grate with Omoi's help. Everyone filed in quickly. Kankuro and Omoi gently placing the grate back as they backed into the tunnel. They didn't fit it in perfectly so that it could easily be moved again once they had their targets. Kurotsuchi marked the sewer map, leaving unique details about turns and upper grates that extended into the city.

"This grate comes up next to the west tower." Kurotsuchi announced. Shikamaru pulled himself up into the small exit hole, making to push the grate open.

"Hold on," Gaara told him.

He closed one eye, holding out a hand as a sand eyeball formed. It floated upwards, sliding through the opening of the grate and surveying the area. A thin line of sand drifted up after the eye, swarming over people in the streets who would be suspicious of their activities, quickly silencing them.

"Go."

Shikamaru pushed up on the grate, moving it to the side and jumping into the street quickly. Once everyone had exited the sewers, Shikamaru placed the grate back in place. Kurotsuchi used her ninjutsu to hide the unconscious bodies of the street patrons to help avoid further suspicion.

They quickly entered the west tower, looking around corners for Kuro shinobi. Chojuro leaned against the wall, triggering a hidden entrance. They looked around; this was the true secret of Kuro. An outer layer for no real purpose. Several paces away from the secret entrance, they located a set of stairs which went downward, into a dark tunnel.

"This is where we'll separate." Shikamaru looked at Kankuro and Omoi. They nodded, disappearing further into the west tower. They ran through the darkness, flashing a small light to keep their bearings. Chojuro and Kurotsuchi broke off when they found the entrance for the north tower, leaving Temari, Gaara, and Shikamaru alone.


	4. Recovery

Chapter 3: Recovery

"We've located the twins." Kankuro's voice was fuzzy from the distance in Kurotsuchi's headset.

"That's good to hear," Temari responded.

"The problem is getting them out of here. The place is crawling with guards."

"We found Rosha on our end," Kurotsuchi chimed in. "Chojuro is heading up to the higher floors to see if we also have Sanmari."

"Omoi has already checked our tower for her."

"I'm on the top floor and I have nothing." Chojuro announced. "Heading back to your Kurotsuchi, let's take these bastards out."

"We're about halfway up our tower with no sight of Sanmari yet." Gaara informed them, his voice crackling.

"Alright, we'll start heading in on our rescue half, hopefully it doesn't make it harder on you to get your charge out." They heard Kankuro's puppet emerge.

"Take them out and we'll have nothing to worry about," Shikamaru chided. The headsets filled with sounds of people screaming and the clash of blades. The excitement of battle caused them to speed up their search.

-oOo-

Kankuro's puppet slid out of the scroll where he kept it on his back. Omoi rolled the lollipop in his mouth. They were going to have to strike quickly for this mission to be successful. Kankuro pulled a small vile out of his pocket full of a purple liquid. His puppet waited expectantly for him to apply the poison to its many weapons. Within seconds, they gave each other a signal and charged into the room. Omoi quickly disarmed the guards and Kankuro incapacitated them. Omoi jumped and worked to free the twins. Kankuro held off the swarm of new Kuro shinobi rushing into the tower.

-oOo-

"Sanmari isn't in the east tower." Shikamaru's voice crackled over the headsets. "You're sure she wasn't with any of you?"

"She wasn't." Omoi growled.

"Definitely not here." Chojuro offered.

"A bad thought that I had," Kurotsuchi started. She was cut off with a clang of metal on metal. It was a few moments before she continued. "Sanmari used to be Jose's favorite, she may have been returned to him in the south tower."

"Shit." Temari swore.

"We'll take the south tower and recover Sanmari and the scrolls." Gaara decided.

"We can't risk you Gaara." Kankuro argued. Everyone flinched at the loud explosion that echoed from their end.

"You can and will risk me. I volunteered to bring them back. I'm rescuing Sanmari." Temari stared at her brother. She had never seen him willing to give his life for another person before.

"Why are you doing this?" She whispered.

"I volunteered to help save them Temari."

"That's not what I meant," she muttered. Gaara ignored her.

"We're going for the south tower." Shikamaru announced. "Get the other three out and don't come back for us."

"Understood." Kurostuchi replied.

The group of three moved quickly through the east tower into the tunnel. They could hear Kuro shinobi heading to their location.

"Let's go." Shikamaru ushered them through the passage.

-oOo-

"This is Jose's office." Temari announced.

"If Sanmari isn't in here, she has to be higher up the tower." Shikamaru stated. Gaara shunted the door open, using his sand to dismantle the lock.

They froze at the sight in front of them. A woman with short blonde hair was chained with her hands over her head, naked. They could see old scars marring her body and new cuts scabbing over and bleeding.

"Fuck," Temari whispered. Sanmari's eyes were closed when they turned her around and a cut across her chest which was fresh and still bleeding. Shikamaru pulled down one of the black curtains from the pole and covered her body with it. She groaned and her eyelids fluttered.

"Sanmari?" Shikamaru asked touching her forehead. Her eyes opened and she looked right at Gaara, startling him. The next moment her head rolled back and she was out again.

"None of us know any healing ninjutsu." Temari admitted.

"We have to get the four of them back to Konoha as soon as possible." Gaara stated. "Even if it means sacrificing our sleep."

"Agreed." Shikamaru nodded. "Let's get out of here."

"The scrolls." Temari remembered, quickly searching the office.

"Found them." Shikamaru tucked them into his weapons pouch. Gaara lifted Sanmari onto his back and Temari adjusted the curtain around her.

"Let's go."

They darted out of the office, protecting Gaara and Sanmari as they fought through the swarm of Kuro shinobi. Gaara used his sand to help create a protective barrier and lift them above the heads of the opposing army.

"Smart plan." Shikamaru complimented.

"Thanks." They touched back on the ground and ran for the upper exit so they could drop down into the sewers.

"Will the sewers be okay for Sanmari?" Temari asked curiously.

"As long as we don't drop her." Shikamaru replied. "That's on you Gaara."

"I have her." Their feet splashed in the run off as they darted through the sewer. Kankuro was waiting with Omoi on the other side and they shoved the grate back in place when the four of them jumped out.

"You found her." Kankuro breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's heavily injured and Naked. We're getting back home and not stopping for sleep or food." Shikamaru commanded. "Pick up the other three and we're going."

Bracing their anbu charges, they raced down the Forgotten River path. They reached Iwagakure by nightfall and carried on. They needed Sakura or Tsunade and there wasn't time to send for them.

It wasn't until the next evening that they returned, racing through the crowded streets past surprised people. The Hokage met them at the hospital, assuming that they would be there should their mission be successful. Nurses ran in a panic to organize the emergency rooms for the four patients, Tsunade immediately attended to Sanmari, as she was the most damaged. Sakura took over the care for the other three since their wounds weren't as grievous or pressing.

Gaara stood outside the operating room that Tsunade was working it. It had a large window to show what was going on and his eyes were fixed on everyone's movements in the room. Kakashi stepped up beside him, but didn't speak for a long while. Temari placed a hand on her brother's shoulder, but he didn't move.

"She's going to be okay, she's in good hands." Kakashi finally told him. "I'm glad that you managed to bring them back alive."

"It was my pleasure sir." Gaara turned and put out his hand. Kakashi shook it firmly. "I'm planning on staying here until I'm sure that they're recovered fully. Do you have work that I can complete here? I will send for some work from Sunagakure as well."

"You don't have to concern yourself with their recovery Lord Fifth, they are our shinobi, and we will take care of them. We are grateful that you volunteered to bring them back."

"I want to be concerned. Kuro is obviously a larger issue for us and these are some of the best candidates for giving us information about the country." He quickly proposed.

"I'm not going to disagree with you." Kakashi put a hand on his hip. "We'll gladly accept you into our city for the time being."

Temari and Kankuro met the Hokage's gaze and shrugged. Kakashi sighed.

"I'll be checking on the other three now, I'm sure Sanmari will be under for a while." He walked away from them.

-oOo-

"Where is my sister?" A man came running into the hospital. His hair was messy and dark sandy brown.

"Mr. Alors, she is resting in a private room." Gaara looked up. He knew that last name. "She is still unconscious, but we're expecting her to wake up soon."

"What room is she in?"

"Room three-eleven." The nurse told him. He tore up the staircase and Gaara met his sibling's eyes.

"Let's go." They raced for the stairs behind Sanmari's brother. When they arrived at her room, he was already inside and kneeling at her bedside.

"Imōto," he whispered.

"Ah, Max, you are here." Kakashi pushed past the three siblings in the doorway.

"Hokage-sama." He stood, still holding onto his sister's hand.

"I'd like for you to meet some of the people who brought your sister back to us alive." He gestured to those behind him. "The Kazekage Gaara and his siblings Kankuro and Temari."

"Kazekage-sama," he breathed softly. He bowed deep.

"It was nothing," Gaara waved him to stand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Max."

"Nii-" and unfamiliar voice whispered. They looked around the room. Sanmari's body shifted and immediately Max was kneeling at her side again, holding her hand.

"Sanmari, I'm here. Your nii-san is here." He brushed back the greasy blonde hair from her forehead. "'Mari."

"Max-nii," she said a little stronger. Gaara took a step closer. "Where am I?"

"You're in the Konoha hospital, you're home."

"I was in Kuro, in Jose's office."

"You were." Kakashi agreed. He stepped up next to her bed. "The Kazekage, Temari, and Shikamaru rescued you and brought you back home. You've been unconscious for two days."

"The Kazekage?" She asked wearily, looking around the room. Her eyes landed on Gaara and he felt his heart constrict. Her hazel eyes were gorgeous and they held the same pain as his from his past. "Kazekage."

"Hello Sanmari, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Gaara."

"It's an honor to meet you." Sanmari closed her eyes and moaned softly.

"Are you okay?" Max bent over her.

"Sleepy," she replied, passing out again.

"It seems that was too much stimulus. I'll let Sakura know she was awake for a few minutes today, hopefully she'll wake up again soon." Kakashi nodded to the others and stepped out of the room.

"Thank you again Lord Gaara." Max told the young man.

"It was no problem." Gaara bowed out of the room with his siblings in his wake.

-oOo-

"It's good to see you moving around again Alors." A familiar voice from the doorway greeted her. Sanmari turned her head, catching sight of Shikamaru. She was on crutches and sudden movements pulled at her new wounds, often causing them to bleed.

"Slowly, I will have a new set of scars once I've healed." She replied, maneuvering back to the hospital bed.

"You'll be back on missions I'm sure." He chuckled.

"I might take a break." She answered honestly. "My mind is struggling to stay conscious and I'm scared of snapping and killing someone innocent."

"An understandable fear." The Nara clan head nodded. "I'm sure that you've heard by now that you were rescued by the Kazekage."

"I was also old that you were one of the few who pulled me from Jose's tower."

"Yes." Shikamaru nodded. "Gaara was the first one to volunteer when the rescue mission came into play."

"Really?" She looked up at him curiously.

"I'd never seen Gaara like that before."

"You are on friendly terms with the Kazekage to call him so naturally."

"We met when we were twelve and I'm dating his sister." He shrugged. "I heard he frequently visits you."

"Every day, he's been introducing me to the game Shogi so that I have something to do."

"That is awfully kind of him." Shikamaru's eyes narrowed.

"I have appreciated the gesture. I'm sure he is doing the same with the others. I haven't been allowed to see them yet, no idea why." She shook her head. "I hear that you are a hard one to beat at Shogi."

"It's a bit of luck." Shikamaru smiled.

"Would you be willing to play a friendly match?"

"Of course."

They played three games. Shikamaru won every single one of them.

"I'll beat you the next time." Sanmari told him lividly.

"Sure." There was a knock at the door.

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Gaara asked politely.

"No, I was getting ready to go back to work." Shikamaru stood. "Until next time Alors."

"I can't beat him at Shogi." Sanmari admitted once he was gone.

"I don't think anyone ever has." Gaara took a seat next to her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, the wounds are still fresh and tear open often."

"I've heard that whip marks are among the hardest for medical ninja to work with." He nodded. "I brought you something."

He reached out a hand to her. Sanmari was unsure of whether she was supposed to take it, but before she could lift her arm, his sand exploded around them and he was left holding a small pot of violas.

"They're beautiful." She gasped.

"Max mentioned that they were your favorite."

"Thank you Gaara." She took the vase from him and turned so she could arrange it on the nightstand.

"Are you up for another game of Shogi?"


	5. Aftermath

Chapter 4: Aftermath

Sanmari was released from the hospital the day that the Kazekage was returning to Sunagakure. She was eager to see if she could catch him before he left, after spending the last month in his company she'd grown to like the man. He was kind and cared for people, something she'd heard he'd struggled to do as a child. She was happy that he'd opened up to her in the last few days and told her some of the things about being a jinchuuriki. Sanmari found it fascinating and similar to her own upbringing.

"Kazekage-sama." Sanmari called after the man and his siblings. They turned, catching the attention of everyone in the streets. Shikamaru, Kakashi, and Max stared at the blonde. She never gave anyone with a high title respect, except the Hokage. "I wanted to thank you personally for saving me."

"Your team and its mission was a concern of the Gokage." Gaara tried to push the matter aside.

"Shikamaru told me that you were the first to volunteer."

"I merely knew that I would need to help the Hokage, it is part of our agreement between the five main nations."

"Yes well, thank you again Kazekage-sama. I am glad to be reunited with my brother and city." She bowed and turned. Max put an arm around her and steered her away through the city. Temari narrowed her eyes at her brother.

"You could've been a bit nicer."

"What do you mean?"

"You made it sound like you went to save her and the rest of the Anbu team to strengthen the bond between the cities." Kankuro explained. "Sheesh, I thought this would be over. We stayed here in Konoha for a month while she recovered so you could keep checking up on her every day. You abandoned Sunagakure for a woman, Gaara."

"What are you talking about? There was work to take care of here."

"I give up." Temari threw her hands in the air. She quickly turned and kissed Shikamaru on the cheek. "I'll send you an eagle when we make it back to Suna."

"It would be appreciated."

"You know, I think he might've been so quick to volunteer because of her bracelet." Kankuro stated as they walked away.

"The 'ai' charm was rather alluring." Temari agreed.

"What are you two trying to point out?" Gaara asked. He tucked the Kazekage hat under his arm.

"Gaara, you're in love with Sanmari." Kankuro told him.

"What?" They stopped.

"You've never experienced love the same way we have Gaara. We can see it in the way you looked at her when she was recovering in the hospital." Temari argued quietly. "You visited her every damn day."

"It wasn't every day."

"It was every day." Kankuro joined in.

"So I visited her, she was injured." He shrugged.

"You didn't visit the twins or Rocha."

"I did."

"Not every day." Temari was nearly tearing her hair out.

"I must be missing something here."

"I give up." Kankuro shook his head and took off into the trees.

"We'll go back to Suna and maybe you'll understand." Temari followed her brother.

Confused, Gaara quickly followed them. His siblings had a lot of explaining to do when they returned home. Perhaps he would give them his overdue paperwork.

-oOo-

"Are you okay Sanmari?" Max turned to face her in their small apartment. She had spent the last hour sighing quietly as she read the Konohagakure Newspaper and he wondered if the woman had a breathing problem.

"I'm fine, just tired." She leaned back on the bed and rolled over to grip her pillows.

"You're missing the Kazekage, aren't you?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Mari," Max pushed.

"Max, really. I mistook his attention during my recovery. That is the end of the story."

"I'll drop it." He put up his hands.

"Have you ever been in love?" She asked. Max looked up from his book and stared at her for a long moment.

"Once." He admitted. "Warren died in the war. I never told you."

"Max," she stood from the bed and threw her arms around her brother.

"So you've become one of the Kazekage's fangirls, have you?" He teased.

"I hate myself every day for it."

"It's okay to be in love Sanmari."

"Not with the Kazekage."

"I suppose not." He kissed the top of her head and mussed his shaggy blond hair.

"I just," Sanmari turned away so Max couldn't see the tears budding at the corners of her eyes. "When I woke up after being back there, in Kurogakure, in Jose's office—his was the first face I saw. He looked at me with what I thought was kindness. I kept flashing back and forth between sane and insane, I couldn't make sense of what was going on—but he was there. I don't know why he stuck so close to me, but I thought it meant something. He visited me every day while I was recovering."

"I don't know what to tell you either, I thought his behavior was odd."

"I guess the only comfort is that I won't see him properly again. I can avoid the days when the Kage arrive here and I can refuse missions to Sunagakure."

"Sanmari, don't sacrifice your job because of him."

"I can't see him Max, if I do, I don't know what might happen."

"I'm not going to be able to persuade you any other way." He sighed. "I'm sorry imōto."

-oOo-

Gaara _missed_ Sanmari. Even that was an understatement for the roiling emotions building in the pit of his stomach. He had no reason to write her a letter, no reason to visit the village to see her, no reason for him to see her in his country—but he didn't know why he desperately wanted that reason.

"Hey brother, we received a request for an assassin to take out the new leader of the bourgeoisie and the few men under him." Kankuro announced as he walked into the Kazekage's office. Gaara spun his chair away from the window, straightening his posture, unable to keep a smile from creeping onto his lips.

"Possible to request shinobi from other cities?"

"Sanmari?" His older brother grinned. Gaara nodded.

"I'll send out the request for her, but if she doesn't come, please look through the list of Suna assassins." He set a three-page packet in front of the Kage.

"Why would she decline?"

"I have a few guesses." Kankuro shrugged. "It's precautionary."

-oOo-

She _declined_. She _fucking_ declined. Gaara was mad, madder than he'd felt since Shukaku was removed from his body. The problem was that he couldn't identify why he was angry. Sanmari had simply declined a mission. Perhaps she was still taking time to recover from a mission in Konoha, or she didn't want to take any assassination missions currently due to her state—but Gaara was personally hurt. He'd easily sent the backup Kankuro had suggested he find on the mission, but he had wanted to see Sanmari.

"You okay Gaara?" Temari asked quietly. They hadn't disturbed the Kazekage since he sent the Suna assassin on the mission.

"I'm fine." The pen in his hand snapped. He stared down at the black ink staining his porcelain skin. Kankuro produced a bowl of water and a rag for him, Temari worked on the ink stain on the desk. "I'm not fine."

"We figured as much." Kankuro couldn't hide the laugh in his tone.

"I want to see Sanmari, but I don't know why."

"Gaara, you have to figure this out on your own." Temari whispered.

"I wish I had some direction."

"Look to your heart." She told him. Her words only confused him more.


	6. Return to Konohagakure

Chapter 5: Return to Konohagakure

Gaara was making another trip to Konohagakure and he was excited. He was hoping to see Sanmari again, to ask her why she had refused missions in his city.

"Where do you think Sanmari will be in the city?" He asked without thinking. Kankuro and Temari looked at each other.

"She could be on a mission, not even in the city." Temari whispered.

"I don't think she will be." Gaara replied. Kankuro rolled his eyes.

"Will you admit it already?"

"What am I supposed to be admitting?"

"How you feel."

"I'm hungry."

"You are an idiot." Temari sped past him in the trees. He made a confused 'what' gesture. Kankuro shook his head and took off after their older sister.

-oOo-

Sanmari kept her back turned on Gaara the entire time she was in the room speaking with the Hokage. He had called her in at the same time the Kazekage had arrived. Once she had received her classified mission, she made sure to turn so that she wouldn't catch a glimpse of Gaara or his siblings. Temari and Kankuro watched the pair like a tennis match, unsure of who was going to speak out first.

Once Sanmari was in the hall, Gaara politely turned to the Hokage.

"Would you mind excusing me for a moment?" He bowed slightly and headed out the door behind her. She was turning the corner of the spiraling staircase when he called out to her. "Sanmari."

She halted and straightened her posture.

"Hello Kazekage-sama." She didn't turn around to look at him.

"It's good to see you back to work and looking so well. I was concerned after what we saw in Kurogakure."

"I thank you for your concern." She told him politely. He placed a hand on her shoulder trying to push her into facing him.

"Is something the matter?" He asked curiously.

"Nothing Lord Gaara. I do have a mission to be getting on with, however. If you would excuse me." She pulled away from his grip and for a moment, he thought he saw a glittering tear drop from her cheek. Gaara felt his heart and stomach constrict. Sanmari had refused to look at him and he had no explanation.

"You okay?" Kankuro asked from behind him. He was leaning against the wall outside the door of the Hokage's office.

"Fine. I don't know what I was expecting." Gaara returned to the office. "Apologies Lord Sixth."

"Oh I have all day." Kakashi waved off. "I have Naruto doing my paperwork."

Shikamaru sighed in the corner and met Temari's gaze. They had a lot of work ahead of them.

"I do believe Sanmari is still experiencing some effects of being in Kuro. She has been quite ruthless in her missions lately. I don't know if you've heard."

"I hadn't."

"Ah, I thought that was the reason why you would want to approach her. I guess my hunches have to be wrong on occasion." Kakashi pulled a few scrolls from the drawer of his desk. "Onto the more important things."

-oOo-

Two days passed since Sanmari left on her mission and she was already back. Gaara was eager to finish up his meeting to try and talk to her, with Kankuro and Temari's help. They were both concerned about her after what Kakashi had told them on the day she left. Kurogakure had affected her more than they expected.

When he saw Sanmari in the street, she was talking an unknown man. He felt the sinking of his guy and rage toward the stranger, it made him cautious of the situation.

"Sanmari," he greeted. She stiffened.

"Kazekage-sama," Sanmari replied politely. She stayed facing the man next to her, yet again refusing to look at him.

"Lord Gaara, it is a pleasure to meet you." The man bowed." I didn't realize you and the Kazekage were friends Sanmari."

"We're not," she told him coldly. "We met on a top secret mission."

"I see." He was quiet for a long while. "I should be getting back home. My wife will be worried about me. It was good to see you again Sanmari."

"Same to you Akito." Gaara breathed easier. The man was married. Akito turned and walked away. Gaara opened his mouth to say something (anything), but she cut him off. "You don't have to pretend like you care about my wellbeing. I have a brother for that. If you're scared of me going insane again, I'll have you know that I haven't had any episodes so far. It seems like I'm finally recovering from my childhood years. Thank you for checking on me on your visits to the city. We have no need to talk to each other anymore."

"Why did you stop taking missions in Suna?" He blurted. Several times, he had specifically requested her, but she turned down the jobs.

"I didn't feel like my services were appropriate."

"Not appropriate?" His voice rose an octave and he had to remind himself to stay calm. He could sense his siblings and Shikamaru watching him from a distance. "I requested you specifically because I knew you were more than perfect for the mission-"

"I didn't want to see you." She cut him off again. His eyes went wide. "I couldn't stand to see you, so I refused anything that would put me near you."

"Why?" His voice cracked.

"That was the one thing I hoped you would know for yourself." She turned to look at him and this time he could see her tears.

"Sanmari," he put out a hand, but another call cut him off.

"Mari!" Max ran up in front of her and gently pulled her to him. "I was wondering why you hadn't come home."

"Sorry nii-san, I ran into an old friend and the Kazekage."

"I see. It's good to see you again Lord Gaara." Max greeted. "I'll be taking my sister home now if you're done with your conversation."

"We're finished." Sanmari pulled on Max's hand and they walked away.

"You fucked up little brother." Kankuro told him.

"I wish I knew what I've messed up so bad."

"At this point, I think we should tell him." Temari hit her forehead with the heel of her right hand.

"We have to." Shikamaru sighed. "Mendokuse, you should be old enough to know what this is."

"Look," Kankuro forced them to sit down in the middle of the street. "As I love Shino in a way that causes me to swoon over stupid things he does. Or how Temari and Shikamaru have a tendency to hang off each other when they think no one is watching. All of this is the definition of that letter you have on your forehead."

Temari glared at her brother.

"Kankuro is right." Shikamaru agreed. "Sanmari is in love with you and we're pretty sure you're in love with her too. You can't leave her alone. You constantly think about her, you've requested her for some of the stupidest missions to your city. Honestly, you wanted to see her again."

"We were waiting for you to figure this out on your own, but you weren't. You haven't known love on the same level as us. We've barely felt any of it ourselves." Temari paused. "Gaara, this could be your one chance at having a happy life."

"What do I do?" He looked like he was five again. Staring up at them, wondering why their father wouldn't allow his siblings to play with him.

"Go after her." Kankuro grinned.

-oOo-

Gaara stepped into the apartment complex where Sanmari and Max resided. He had handed off his Kazekage clothes to his siblings, deciding it would be best to go as a normal young adult. As he stepped out onto the fourth floor, he heard a squeal and the slamming of a door. He looked to his right, finding the door creaking back open and a pair of blue eyes staring at him. Gaara ignored them and continued on his way. He could feel people staring at him, alerted by the shriek of the other girls. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door of the Alors home.

"What do you want?" Max demanded.

"I want to speak with Sanmari for a moment. If you would please allow me to."

"Step inside, you're drawing a crowd." Max sighed. Gaara removed his shoes when he was inside and he waited by the door.

"The Kazekage is here to talk to you." Max leaned against a doorframe along the right wall.

"Tell him to go away."

"He's in the apartment."

"What'd you let him in for?"

"He was about to get mobbed in the hallway by horny girls, what did you want me to do?" Gaara turned red. Max wasn't wrong, but he was blunt.

"What do you want Lord Gaara?" Sanmari stepped out of her room. She was dressed in loose pants and a sweatshirt despite the warm weather outside. He realized that it was her pajamas.

"I wanted to apologize formally to you." He bowed slightly toward her. "I often have a hard time understanding what is going on around me and I'm afraid that I have hurt you. I came here to confess. It took me a while to realize it, but I am in love with you Sanmari. When Shikamaru brought back your message alerting the Hokage to what had happened, I felt an automatic connection to you because of your bracelet. That moment that I volunteered to save your life was the start of something new for me, something I've never experienced before. I feel like I understand your past because of my own past with my father."

The room was quiet and Max stared between his sister and the Kazekage. His confession wasn't something he'd expected.

"I only meant to come here tonight and tell you. I want to have a relationship like my siblings have and I would hope that you feel the same." He bowed again and made to turn. Before he had straightened fully, Sanmari crossed the room and threw her arms around his neck.

"I love you too." She whispered in his ear.

"I'll be in my room." Max muttered, strutting into the room before Sanmari's.

"I'm sorry that I didn't realize sooner." Gaara hesitantly wrapped his arms around her.

"It's fine now. I was so peeved that you never realized and I couldn't tell how you felt." She pulled back from him.

"I'm probably the worst person you could fall for."

"I don't think that's true." Sanmari smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

"Can I kiss you?"

"You don't need to ask." Sanmari giggled.

Gaara leaned forward and pressed his lips hesitantly against the corner of her mouth. She put her hands on the lower half of his face, gently pushed his head to an angle, and fully pressed her lips to his.

"Soft," he breathed. Sanmari turned red and his face followed. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, it's a compliment."

-OOo-

"Move to Suna with me," Gaara told her during dinner. After a meeting with the Kage, he'd brought Sanmari to the barbeque restaurant that Choji loved.

"What?" The meat fell from Sanmari's chopsticks.

"I want you to move to Suna, to be with me."

"If I do move to Sunagakure to be with you, what does that mean for our relationship?"

"It would be more personal, something I could pitch to the Council. They keep trying to force me into an arranged marriage with any number of girls. Having you there gives me something solid to back of my denial of each suggestion. In the future, I want to marry you—but we're young right now. I would also offer you a position that allows you to be in the same meetings as me. It's a terrible way to spend time together-"

Sanmari cut him off. "Gaara, I get it. I'll move to Suna with you." She put her hand on top of his. "Even if it's to help you get the Council off your back."

She winked. Gaara smiled softly and stole a piece of her meat.

"Jerk."

-oOo-

A year after Sanmari moved from Konoha to Suna, the whole city was planning a wedding for their Kazekage. They'd fought the Council on several occasions to let their relationship continue, finally settling on their marriage.

"No more pictures of dresses." Sanmari groaned as Temari brought in another stack of magazines. Gaara looked between them with a bemused expression.

"We chose your dress last week, these are flower magazines."

"It's even worse." She settled herself behind Gaara's chair.

"Red roses with baby's breath and white dahlia's. Silver ribbon." Gaara told his sister swiftly.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. Sanmari peeked at him around the chair.

"You knew what flowers to pick?"

"Our wedding colors are red and silver, white is neutral color to compliment the others." He paused. "Do you not like them?"

"I love them." Sanmari wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"In exchange can I see the wedding dress?"

"No." Both women said together.

"Okay," he looked back at his paperwork. "Do you need help with any other decisions?"

"Food for the wedding banquet, which has our family, friends, and village officials invited. Refreshments for the reception. Do we want to have it be slightly western style?" Sanmari moved around his desk.

"Perhaps slightly western, what did you have in mind."

"For the ceremony itself it would of course include the traditional nuptial cups which are required by the Council. Afterward we would have the slightly western-style wedding banquet, with the reception after. I'd rather not have to change my clothes four times, so I'm going to wear my dress the whole time."

"Sounds good," he shrugged.

"Food?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Sushi, Ramen." Gaara smiled. "Naruto will like the latter." Both women laughed.

"We should have come to you sooner." Temari sighed, chucking the magazines into the bin by the door.

"We need to get presents for Temari, Kankuro, and Max since they'll be standing in as our parents. It's customary to give them gifts after their speeches."

"We can decide on that when my sister isn't present."

"I'll leave. I have to take care of some other things anyway."

"Want to do it on your desk?" Sanmari suggested once she was gone, casually flipping through his paperwork.

"Sanmari," he warned softly, signing another document.

"Just a suggestion."

* * *

A Family (Epilogue)

"Maara, stop teasing your brothers." Sanmari scolded for the seventh time during breakfast. Gaara chuckled and blocked his wife's kick under the table with his sand.

Maara was their oldest and only daughter. She had strawberry-blonde hair and her father's eyes, including the insomnia marks. She didn't have Shukaku, but she suffered from the disease. Her brothers were fraternal twins. Kisame, the younger of the two, took after his mother. He had long blonde hair tied in a braid and an upturned nose. His twin, named Erik, looked like Gaara without the tattoo or insomnia marks. He even had Gaara's old sand gourd tied to his back, but he struggled to control the sand like his father. Maara was extremely skilled with her ninjutsu, but lacked control of her emotions. She was aiming for being the next Kazekage after her father. Kisame was in the middle of the two. He was better than Erik, but not as good as Maara. He'd picked up water jutsu better than any other, which was harder to practice in Suna—causing him to be stronger when given an adequate battlefield.

"They're being mean." Maara argued.

"You threw food at them." Gaara told her. Maara frowned.

"You need to go to work." Sanmari informed her husband. She stood and collected his bento.

"I'll see you tonight, hopefully." He kissed her softly, taking the lunch from her.

"Love you."

One last kiss to her forehead and Gaara was gone.

Maara threw another sausage at Erik.

"MAARA!"


End file.
